Nioh 3’s Kajiwara Kagetoki is arguably the most annoying boss in the entire game. It’s one of those classic Soulslike gank fights that is designed just to frustrate the player. Honestly, I hate this fight with a burning passion.
Still, it’s a mandatory fight and needs to be completed in order to progress the main story, so there is no avoiding it. If you’re anything like me, you are struggling big time with this boss and just want it to be over.
It’s time to beat this infuriating boss once and for all and this guide will help you do that. Here’s how to beat Kajiwara Kagetoki in Nioh 3.
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Finding Kajiwara Kagetoki
Players will encounter Kajiwara Kagetoki naturally through main story progression. He is one of the main bosses during the “Heian Befouled” quest, where your objective is to destroy three barriers throughout Heian. He is located in the Rokuhara region, shown in the image below.
While the game allows you to decide which barrier to cleanse first, I recommend fighting Otoroshi first, Ibaraki Doji next, and Kajiwara Kagetoki last. The reason for this is because the recommended level for Otoroshi is 63, Ibaraki Doji is 73, and Kajiwara Kagetoki has a recommendation level of 77.
Kajiwara Kagetoki Moveset
As mentioned earlier, Kajiwara Kagetoki is an absolute pain. He blocks almost everything, is super quick, and even summons minions to attack. There is a lot going on and it can be hard to keep up.
Before we get into how to beat Kajiwara Kagetoki, let’s first discuss his moveset. The grid below details everything you need to know.
| Moveset | Description |
|---|---|
| Axe Launch | Kajiwara will place both axes across his body and put them under his arms. He will then launch these straight ahead of him. |
| Axe Backflip | Kajiwara will flip both of axes in his hand and do a backflip, kicking the player. |
| Axe Double Throw | Kajiwara will place both axes across his body and put them under his arms. He will then throw both axes, one at a time. |
| Dodge Throw | If the player attacks Kojiwara from the front, there is a chance for him to dodge the attack and then throw an axe immediately afterward. |
| Beast Summon | Kajiwara will jump back, bring out his summoning box, and summon a beast with claws. This beast will immediately launch itself at the player and then vanish. |
| Long Axe Throw | Kajiwara will raise one axe in the air and it will glow blue. He will then throw his axe really far away. This attack only comes if the player is far away from him. |
| Mermaid Summon | Kajiwara will bring out his summoning box and summon a mermaid demon. This mermaid launches a projectile at the player and then vanishes. |
| Demon Summon | Kajiwara will bring out his summoning box and summon a Demon who will launch three wind orbs toward the player. |
| Stun Spell | Kajiwara will place a purple sigil on the ground and then place his hand in front of him. This stuns and pushes the player. |
| Axe Burst Attack | Kajiwara will place both his axes above him, spin in a circle and toss them both toward the player. The axes then return to Kajiwara, and he will instantly glow red and do the exact same attack, except this one is a Burst Attack. |
How to Beat Kajiwara Kagetoki
There are a couple of aspects about this fight that you can use to your advantage. First, the arena is absolutely gigantic. This gives you breathing room to run away from Kajiwara if you get too overwhelmed, which I highly suggest you do constantly throughout the fight.
Second, you’ll have Minamoto no Yoshitsune fighting alongside with you, and while he doesn’t aggro the boss much, he does deal consistent damage to Kajiwara that will help you chip away at his health bar.
To easily beat Kajiwara Kagetoki, I recommend keeping a good distance and have Minamoto no Yoshitsune do most of the damage.
I’m not saying to avoid Kajiwara altogether, but I am saying to only engage when there is an opening to land attack. Kajiwara is insanely fast, so the probability of dodging all of his attacks when up close is very slim.
The best thing about having Minamoto no Yoshitsune during this fight is that he simply cannot die. He will survive the entire fight no matter what.
The method that led to my success against this boss was to play as Samurai when attacking and switching to Ninja when Kajiwara unleashes a series of attacks to help you run away. Once you spot an opening to deal damage, run in and switch back to Samurai to deal high damage.
All attacks where he places both axes across his body, and under his arms, gives you time to get behind him and deal damage. Each one of these attacks have a slight opening afterward that allows you to actually get a hit in.
You can also find a chance to deal damage during his summoning animation or stun spell. The latter is tricky as the window is very small, and you’ll have to dodge the summon’s attack, which comes immediately afterward. But if you time this right, you can get a handful of hits in.
As for the stun spell, dodging right when he moves his hand will prevent you from getting pushed back, allowing you to deal some damage.
Also, when it comes to Kajiwara summoning enemies, they can all be avoided by simply sprinting to the right or left. They vanish after a short period, so just out run them until they disappear.
As you’re keeping your distance and finding the opening to attacks, your companion will slowly drain Kajiwara’s health bar. Kajiwara has a hard time closing the gap when you aren’t close, so this is a sure-fire way to win the fight.
Additionally, watch out for this Burst Attack where he throws his blades at you. If you miss the Burst Counter on the first throw, you can Burst Counter the blades as they make their way back to Kajiwara. In other words, you have two tries to land this Burst Counter.
Kajiwara Kagetoki Rewards
Outside of randomized Exotic and Rare loot, players will earn the Martial Art Handbook Roundabout after defeating Kajiwara Kagetoki in Nioh 3.
Additionally, if you have defeated the other two bosses of the Heian Befouled quest, then you will be able to traverse the Crucible in the Heian region and continue on with the main story. I recommend upgrading gear and leveling up your character since the upcoming Crucible is very difficult.
